Liquid-raising apparatus



(N0 Model.)` .2 sheets-sheet 1.y F. H. MERRILL. LIQUID RAISING APPARATUS.

Patented Jan. 29, 1895.

v ll l (No'Model.) 2 sheetssheet 2.

F. H. MERRILL. LIQUID RAISING APPARATUS.

Patented' Jan. 29, 1895.

TH: Nunn s PE-rzns co. PHOTO-LITRO.. wAsnrNc'lfoN, n4 c.

FRANK H. MERRILL, OF BOUND BROOK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE MERRILL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

LIQUIDRAISING APPARATUS.

` SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 533,229, dated January 29, 1895.

Application tiled .Tune 21, 1892. Renewed July 20. 1894. Serial No. 518,155. (No model.)

To @ZZ wtom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK II. MERRILL, of Bound Brook, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Liquid-Raising Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is peculiarly adapted for use in the construction of a single acting pump` although it may also be used in the construction of a double acting pump.

lIn single acting pumps as heretofore constructed, the shifting of the valve controlling the connection of the Water compartment with the pressure and exhaust respectively, was determined either by the following of the compressed air up the Water delivery pipe until the pressure was reduced by the reduced column of water, in which case the economy of the apparatus was sacrificed; or by the employment of a float in the water compartment to operate as a detector to determine by the changing level of the Water when the valve should be shifted, in which case it has been practicable to only partially till the water compartment.

By my invention I am enabled to overcome both of the above difticulties, as Will be apparent from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown two constructions of my invention.

Figure lis a vertical section of the first construction through line .ez of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of thesame through the line y y of Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a detail corresponding with a portion of Fig. l excepting that the parts are in a different position. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a second construction through line fr of Fig. 4. Fig. 4. is a plan view ot' the same. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the upper portion through line a," of Fig. 3.

I will first describe the iirst construction and its mode of operation which is best adapted for high pressure.

a is the water compartment.

b is the supplemental water compartment both of which are included within the same shell and are separated from eachother by a partition c; the compartment b forming an L. around the top and one side of the compartment a.

be entirely filled with water before the water commences to enter the compartment b to which it has access through the pipe d.

e is an upwardly opening valve by which the water entrance passage e is closed.

f is the water delivery pipe which leads from the bottom of the compartment h.

f is a check valve in the water delivery pipe.

g is the compressed air supply pipe.

h is a passage connecting in certain conditions ot' the apparatus, the air supply pipe g with the top of the compartment o. and in other conditions of the apparatus, connecting the top ofthe compartment o, with the exhaust.

t' is a passage connecting the top of the compartment b with the passage h; the entrance of il into 71, being closed by an outwardly opening check valve i adapted to be held closed when h is connected with the compressed air supply pipe but to be open by the pressure of the air in compartment b as soon as his connected with the exhaust.

j is a rotating valve operated by the army" to which arm is connected a float tji Within the chamber b.

ljiis a guide by which the motions ot` theiioat ,i2 are confined to a vertical direction. The valvej in one position shown'in Fig. l, connects the exhaust passage k with the passage l, and in the other position, shown in Fig. 6, connects with the passage Zthe passage m leading from the compressed air supply pipe g. The passage Z in turn connects with the interior of the cylinder fn, and also with the passage Z which in turn connects with the interior of the cylinder o. Within the cylinder n is located a vertically reciprocating piston n and within the cylinder 0 is located a vertically reciprocating piston o. The cylindero opens at its lower end into a chamber o2 communicating with the compressed air supply pipe g` and this chamber communicates through the opening o3 with a chamber o4 from which leads the passage h. Upon the bottom IOO of the piston o is mounted a Valve 06 adapted to close the opening 03 when the piston o is in its lowermest position,shown in Fig. 6, and the star o7 assists in guiding this valve and the piston o vertically.

o5 is an exhaust passage leading from the chamber o8 and this chamber o8 comm unicates above through the opening o9 with the chamber o4, and below with the cylinder n above the piston n.

p is a valve adapted to close from above the opening o9 and mounted upon the star p by which it is fixed to the piston n so that when that piston is in its lowermost position, as shown in Fig. l, the opening o9 will be closed and when in its uppermost position as shown in Fig. 6, the opening o9 will be open.

The operation of the first form of apparatus is as follows: Suppose the compartments a and b to be full of water, as shown in Fig. l, and the valves and pistons to be in the position therein shown. The compressed air from the pipe g will now communicate as indicated by the arrow, through the chamber o2, the passage o3, the chamber o4 and the passage h with the compartment d forming a pressure within the compartment a which will close the valve e and proceed to force the water from the compartment d through the pipe d into the compartment b and thence into the delivery pipef. When the water has been forced from the compartment a to below the level of the opening into the pipe d, the air will follow up through the pipe d into the compartment b and occupy the upper portion of the compartment b until the water therein has been forced loW enough to drop the float y2 from the position shown in Fig. 1, into the position shown in Fig. 6. This produces a corresponding movement of the arm j and valve j. Now7 the passage Z instead of being, as before, connected with the exhaust passage 7c is connected by the movement of the valve j with the pressure passage m and consequently compressed air is supplied to the cylinder o above the piston o', and to the cylinder o?, below the piston n. The pressure above the piston o will be aided by the weight of the piston and by the suction of the compressed air passing downward through the passage o3 to force the piston o and the valve o(i connected therewith, downward so as to close the passage o3. At the same time, the pressure below piston n will, by reason of the greater area of surface presented thereto, overcome the downward pressure in opposition thereto on the top of the valve 19 and will force the piston n and the valve p upward so as to open the passage o9 and connect the chamber o4 and therefore the passage h with the exhaust passage o5, as shown in Fig. 6. The pressure from the passage h being thus released, the back pressure in the chamber b will open the check Valve i. Thus, both the chamber d and the chamber b will be cut off from the pressure passage g and communicated with the exhaust and thereupon the gravity of the water surrounding the compartments d and o will open the Valve e and lill both of those compartments. As soon however, as the filling of the compartment Z9 has proceeded far enough to raise the oat therein, the valvej will be rotated back to its first position and the passa-gel being thereby cut off from the pressure and connected with the exhaust, the downward pressure upon the pistono will be relieved and the upward pressure upon it in the chamber o2 will cause it to raise and permit the compressed air to communicate with the compartment o4 and therefore with the passage h. At the same time, the pressure being relieved from below the piston n the weight of that piston and the parts connected therewith will cause it to fall and seat the valvep which will thereafter be held securely seated so long as the pressure is in communication with the chamber o4.

The packing in the joint between the cylinder head p2 and the cylinder 0 is extended so as to overhang the outward edges of the piston o and an upwardly extending flange or rim p3 is provided on-the outer edge of o adapted to embed itself into said packing when the piston is in its uppermost position so as to insure a tight contact.

p4 is a packing laid upon the upper side of the piston n and a downwardly extending rim, bead or iiangep5 is provided around the upper end of the cylinder n, which bead embeds itself in the packing p4 when ,the piston n is in its uppermost position and secures tightness of contact.

As will be seen by reference to the drawings, the apparatus shown is cast in the following parts: first, a stand q upon which the whole structure is supported from below; second, a casting extending from the top of the stand to the line q containing the compartments ct and l); third, a casting extending to the line q2 containing the cylinder n and the parts surrounding it; fourth, a casting g3 bolted to the bottom of the casting last referred to and hanging within the chamber b containing the chamber for the valve j and the head of the cylinder n and a portion of the passages Z, h and fm; fifth, a casting extending above the line q2 to the line g4 containing the chambers o4, o2, the cylinder o and the passages surrounding the same; sixth, a casting (15 constituting the head for the cylinder o and containing a portion of the passage Z.

The second construction is best adapted for low pressure. I will next describe so much of it as differs substantially from the first.

fr is a chamber which will be alternately connected with the pressure in the pipe g and with the exhaust and with which chamber the pipe h is connected and which chamber is also connected with the compartment b by means of a passage r through which extends the star r2. ln addition to the passage a" connected with the chamber r is the passage 'r3 by which it communicates with the press- IOO tof;

ure passage g. The passage T3 is closed by the upwardly opening valve T4 and the passage T2 is closed by the upwardly opening valve T5 mounted upon the top of the star T2 and connected with the valve T4 by means of a train of mechanism consisting, in the construction shown, of a lever TG and the star T7 extending through the passage T3.

jz is a float within the Water compartment h which is mounted upon an arm jg carrying at its opposite end the counterpoise j4. This arm is secured to a bell crank lever TB fulcrnmed at T9 and pivoted by pivot T10 to the lower extremity of the star T2. The opening through which the pivot T10 extendsin the extremity of the star is larger than the pivot both longitudinally (to provide for the circular motion of lever T8) and vertically (to permit of slight vibrations of the float without moving the valve).

The operation of the second form of apparatus is as follows: Suppose the parts of the apparatus to be in the position shown in Fig. 3. Now, the valve T4 is open and the valve T5 is closed connecting the pressure pipe g with the top of the compartment a, through the passage h. The pressure of air in the top ot the compartment a, will close the valve e and force the water out of the compartment a through the pipe d into the compartment b and thence into thewater delivery pipe f. As soon as the water has descended in the compartment ct below the bottom of the pipe cl, the air under pressure will follow it up through the pipe CZ into the compartment b. When the water in the compartment b has descended so as to drop the float f, the train of mechanism connecting this oat with the valve T5 will raise that valve and open communication between the compartment b and the chamber T. The valve T5 closes not merely the passage T but also a series of perforations T11 surrounding the passage T and forming an exhaust so that when the point in the operation already described is reached,the compartment b will be connected with the exhaust. At the same time that the valve T5 opens, it moves the lever TG so as to remove the support of the valve T4 and consequently the pressure upon the top of that valve will drop by its own weight combined with the suction of the draft of air through the opening beneath it cutting the chamber T oft from the pressure passage g.

The communica-tion of the passage T with the exhaust as above described, of course creates a communication of the compartment et with the exhaust through the passage h and the chamber T. Now, the compartments ct and b being both communicated with the exhaust the gravity of the water surrounding them will open the valve e and iill both ofthe compartments, filling the compartment ct iirst, and lastly the compartment b; so that both compartments will be practically full when the buoyancy of the water in the compartment b raises the float j? and closes the valve Ti and opens the valve T4 by the train of mechanism connecting the float with those two valves.

The pressure on top of the valve T4 when it closes, is such that the valve will retain its seat against the force generated by the iioat until that force has increased to a considerable extent, and as soon as that force has increased suftlciently to unseat the Valve and permit the compressed air to get beneath it, the opening of it to its fullest extent will be instantaneous. The same character of operation in the reverse direction will take place when the valve o5 is closed and the valve o4 is opened.

It will be observed that in both the modiiications above described, the closing of the valve is independent of the column of water being raised and that the compartments are cut oft from the pressure supply before any loss ofthe compressed air commences through the delivery pipe; also that when the water acts upon the float to turn on the pressure, it has already filled all that part of the water compartment which is of extensive horizontal area and lacks only the Iilling of the upward extension or supplementary part-of the water compartment which may be of such triing horizontal area as that the water lacks only a small amount of the total capacity of the whole water compartment; because the float at the instant it acts to turn on the pressure occupies the horizontally small extension or supplement of the main water compartment7 which horizontally small extension or supplement of the main compartment, in the particular form of` construction which I have shown for the purpose of illustrating my invention, the iioat occupies at all times being in this particular form cut oit by the partition c from the horizontally extended portion of the water compartment.

I claiml. In a liquid raising apparatus operated by compressed gas in combination, a liquid compartment a, a connecting supplementary compartment b of relatively small horizontal area, a float located in said supplementary compartment, an inlet and outlet liquid passage, an inlet gas passage, a valve controlling the gas inlet and means whereby the upward motion of the iioat as the liquid accumulates in the supplementary compartment opens said valve and the downward motion of the iioat closes the same; both of said compartments being below the liquid level, substantially as described.

2. In a liquid raising apparatus in combination, a primary liquid compartment provided with inlet water and gas passages, a supplementary liquid compartment, a pipe leading thereinto from near the bottom of the primary liquid compartment, a liquid delivery pipe leading from said supplementary com- 'partment, a tloat in said supplementary compartment, a valve controlling said gas inlet passage and means whereby the rising and falling of said float are communicated to IOD . the secondary compartment, valves controlling said inlet and outlet gas passages, a float located in the secondary compartment and means whereby the motions of said tloat are, caused to alternately open and close said valves, substantially as described.

4. ln a liquid raising yapparatus in combination, primary and secondary liquid compartments located below the liquid level, -i-nlet liquid and gas passages connecting with the primary compartment, a passage leading from near the bottom of the primary compartment to the secondary compartment, a liquid delivery pipe leading from near the bottom of the secondary compartment, a gas exit passage from the secondary compartment, valve mechanism controlling said gas inlet and exit passages, a tloat in said secondary compartment, means whereby the motions of said float are communicated to said valve mechanism, substantially as described.

5. In a liquid raising apparatus a vessel divided by the partition c into the primary liquid compartment a and secondary liquid compartment b, gas and liquid entrance openings into the compartment a, a passage leading from near the bottom of the compartment a to compartment b, a liquid delivery pipe leading from nearthe bottom of compartment b, a gas eX-it passage leading from compartment b, a float in compartment b and valve mechanism connected with said float whereby said gas entrance and exit passages are opened alternately as the water rises or falls in the compartment b, substantially as described.

6. In a liquid raising apparatus in combination a pressure chamber provided with liquid inlet and outlet passages, a gas inlet passage and the following mechanism whereby said inlet gas passage is controlled, viz: a chamber o4 provided with openings into pressure and exhaust passages, valves o6 and p controlling said openings, pistons 0 and n connected with said valves, a valve j, a pressure passage m leading to said valve, an ex- Vhaust passage k leading from said valve and a passage Z Z' leading from said valve to the cylinders of said pistons, substantially as described.

FRANK H. MERRILL. Witnesses:

FREDERICK H. CooK, HENRY F. GILLEsPIE. 

